Apparatus for flexible flat cable

ABSTRACT

Examples of an apparatus for flexible flat cable, installable within a print device, are described. The flexible flat cable may be connected to a print carriage assembly of the print device.

BACKGROUND

Inkjet based print devices generally include a print carriage assembly.For printing, print carriage assembly moves relative to the surface of aprint medium. The operation of the print carriage assembly is controlledand managed by a main circuit board within the print device. Generally,the main circuit board is communicatively coupled to the print carriageassembly through a flexible flat cable. The flexible flat cable alsomoves owing to the movement of the print carriage assembly and may beretained using various mechanisms to ensure that the flexible flat cabledoes not interfere with other components of the print device while itoperates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description references the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example cable guiding apparatus for a flexibleflat cable;

FIG. 2 is a diagram depicting an example apparatus for retaining aflexible flat cable;

FIG. 3 is diagram depicting various components of an example apparatusfor retaining a flexible flat cable;

FIGS. 4 and 5 depict various components in different stages of operationof a print device having an example cable guiding apparatus for aflexible flat cable; and

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a print device having a cable guiding apparatusfor a flexible flat cable, as per an example of the present subjectmatter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In print devices, generally a print carriage assembly may includemultiple print heads. For printing, the print carriage assembly moveshorizontally in a to-fro motion relative to the surface of a printmedium. Characters may be printed by selectively activating print headsas the print carriage assembly moves across the surface of the printmedium. When activated, the print heads may discharge a specific volumeof ink to print the desired characters.

The operation of the print carriage assembly is controlled and managedby a main circuit board of the print device. Generally, the main circuitboard is communicatively coupled to the print carriage assembly througha flexible flat cable. The flexible flat cable may be used fortransmitting power, data signals or control signals from the maincircuit board to the print carriage assembly. The flexible flat cablemay be considered as composed of multiple electrically conducting wiresextending in a parallel manner along a flat plane. The conducting wiresmay be bound using electrically non-conducting material. Thenon-conducting material, amongst other aspects, may provide a certaindegree of flexibility to the flexible flat cable for bending and at thesame time may provide protection against fatigue caused due tooperation, oxidation, and environment contamination.

Of two ends of the flexible flat cable, one end is connected to theprint carriage assembly. The other end is indirectly connected to themain circuit board through a retaining apparatus. With one end of theretaining apparatus connected to the other end of the flexible flatcable, the other end of the retaining apparatus may be connected to themain circuit board through interconnects or other interfaces.

Generally, the retaining apparatus may retain a portion of the flexibleflat cable which is connected to it. As explained previously, theflexible flat cable also moves owing to the motion of the print carriageassembly. The retaining apparatus retains a portion of the flexible flatcable to prevent any damage or loosening of the joint at which theflexible flat cable is connected to the retaining apparatus. Theretaining apparatus may be so oriented such that the flexible flat cableremains twist free along its length between the retaining apparatus andthe print carriage assembly. The flexible flat cable may generally forma curved loop when connected between the retaining apparatus and theprint carriage assembly.

During operation, with the movement of the print carriage assembly theflexible flat cable may intermittently extend or bend with respect tothe retainer. When it is extended, the flexible flat cable may settle ona flat surface of a cable guiding apparatus. The flat surface generallyextends in parallel to an axis along which the print carriage assemblymoves. While bending in the form of a curved loop, the flexible flatcable may be subjected to stresses. Furthermore, design changes toachieve a more compact print device have resulted in the guidingapparatus being moved closer to the print carriage assembly. This hasfurther increased the stress to which the flexible flat cable may besubjected to. The stresses experienced by the flexible flat cable may inturn also affect the movement of the print carriage assembly. Forexample, the stresses may cause reaction forces onto the print carriageassembly resulting in unstable motion owing to which print qualitydefects may arise. Furthermore, owing to the increased stresses, theoperational life of the flexible flat cable may also reduce. The onsetof such effects may be reduced by decreasing the printing speeds.Reducing printing speeds is however not implemented as an option forresolving the aforementioned issue.

The flexible flat cable may either extend above the plane in which theprint carriage assembly moves or may also extend in the same plane. Incertain cases, wherein the flat surface of the flexible flat cable isorthogonal to the horizontal plane in which print carriage assemblymoves, the flexible flat cable may sag under its own weight over aperiod of time. The sagging may result in the flexible flat cableinterfering with other internal components, as the print carriageassembly moves. This may result in decrease the life of the flexibleflat cable which in turn may require periodic replacement and repair.

Examples of apparatus for flexible flat cable utilized in print devicesare described. In one example, a cable guiding apparatus for a flexibleflat cable is described. The guiding apparatus is used for accommodatingthe flexible flat cable. When accommodated, the flexible flat cablerests onto the guiding apparatus when the flexible flat cable isextended. In the present example, the guiding apparatus includes a cableaccommodating portion. The cable accommodating portion has a prescribedwidth to accommodate the width of the flexible flat cable. The cableguiding apparatus is such that the cable accommodating portion extendsaway from the axis along which the print carriage assembly moves. Thecable accommodating portion may be linear or curved. Owing to such aconfiguration of the cable accommodating portion, the bending stressesthat are produced onto the flexible flat cable are less. This furtherreduces the reaction forces that may act on the print carriage assembly,thereby maintaining print quality.

The degree to which the cable accommodating portion may extend away fromthe print carriage assembly may depend on a variety of factors, such asstiffness of the cable free length of the cable, speed of the printcarriage assembly, gaps between the print carriage assembly and theflexible flat cable. It should be noted that these are just illustrativeand other examples may also be present without deviating from the scopeof the present subject matter. Furthermore, it should also be noted thatany reference to the cable accommodating portion extending away from theprint carriage assembly would imply the cable accommodating portionextending away from the axis along which the print carriage assemblymoves

In another example, there may be a case where the surface of theflexible flat cable is orthogonal to the horizontal plane in which printcarriage assembly moves. To this end, a retaining apparatus for theflexible flat cable is described. The retaining apparatus retains aportion of the flexible flat cable. From the retaining apparatus, theflexible flat cable extends out and may be further connected to theprint carriage assembly. In one example, the retaining apparatus is soadapted such that the flexible flat cable when extending from theretaining apparatus is at a specific angle in an upward direction withrespect to the horizontal plane along which the print carriage assemblymoves. To this end, in one example, the retaining apparatus may betilted by the specific angle with respect to the horizontal plane tocause the flexible flat cable to extend from the apparatus and slightlylift it in the upward direction with respect to the horizontal plane. Aswould be understood, the flexible flat cable being slight lifted abovemay counter any effect that may arise due to the sagging of the flexibleflat cable over a course of time. In this manner, the operational lifeof the flexible flat cable is enhanced. The specific angle by which theretaining apparatus is titled may be based on numerous factors such asfree length of the flexible flat cable, coating material of the flexibleflat cable, and weight and width of the flexible flat cable. Otherexamples may be also included without deviating from the scope of thepresent subject matter.

These and other aspects are described in conjunction with variousexamples as illustrated in FIGS. 1-6. The present description isprovided for print devices which may have a print carriage assembly.However, the scope of the present subject matter may not be limited toonly such print devices. Other print devices may also be included withinthe scope of the present subject matter without any limitation.Furthermore, in some figures, various components for which no protectionis sought have been illustrated using dotted lines.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example cable guiding apparatus 102 implementedwithin a print device 100 having one or more components. FIG. 1 depictssuch a print device as a block diagram of various components of such aprint device 100. The block diagram illustrates logical blocksrepresenting functional or mechanical entities which may be present inthe print device 100. The block diagram does not indicate any specificarrangement of such elements nor does it represent the manner in whichsuch elements may be interconnected with each other. Any arrangement orrearrangement of blocks may be implemented without deviating from thescope of the present subject matter.

In the present example, the print device 100 includes a cable guidingapparatus 102 (hereinafter referred to guiding apparatus 102). Theguiding apparatus 102 may be connected to a retaining apparatus 104. Theretaining apparatus 104 may be considered as providing a support for theguiding apparatus 102 and also for retaining a portion (e.g., one end)106 a of the flexible flat cable 106 (referred to as the cable 106). Theother end 106 b of the cable 106 is connected to a print carriageassembly 108. The print carriage assembly 108 in operation may move in ato and fro motion along a drive mechanism 110. The drive mechanism 110enables the movement of the print carriage assembly 204 along thedirections as indicated. As explained briefly, the movement of the printcarriage assembly 108 affects the printing of desired characters basedon one or more executable commands.

The guiding apparatus 102 may further include interfaces for connectingthe cable 106 to the main circuit board (not shown in FIG. 1) of theprint device 100. The cable 106 in connection with the guiding apparatus102 and the retaining apparatus 104 provide an electronic communicationchannel between the main circuit board and the print carriage assembly108. The cable 106 may be used for transmitting power, communicatingdata and control signals from the main circuit to the print carriageassembly 108.

Returning to the guiding apparatus 102, the guiding apparatus 102 mayfurther include a cable accommodating portion 112 (referred to as theportion 112). The portion 112 has two ends 112 a, 112 b, the first end112 a of which is connected to the cable 106. The portion 112 may be inthe shape of a strip and is of specific width. The specific width of theportion 112 may be so selected based on the width of the cable 106. Asalso explained previously, the print carriage assembly 108 moves in ato-fro motion across two extreme positions. As the print carriageassembly 108 moves, the cable 106 may be bent or relaxed depending onthe position of the print carriage assembly 108. For example, as theprint carriage assembly 108 moves from right to left (as shown in FIG.1), the cable 106 would be bent in a loop. As the print carriageassembly 108 continues to move, the cable 106 would be accommodated overthe guiding apparatus 102.

Returning to the features of the guiding apparatus 102, the portion 112accommodates the cable 106 as the print carriage assembly 108 moves fromthe right to the left direction. The portion 112 extends away from animaginary axis along which the print carriage assembly 108 moves. Itshould be noted that in the present description any reference to theguiding apparatus extending away from the print carriage assembly refersto the guiding apparatus 102 extending away from an axis along which theprint carriage assembly moves. The portion 112 may in turn be composedof individual linear portions which may be continuously joined togetherto form the guiding apparatus 102 such that the portion 112 extends awayfrom the print carriage assembly 108. In another example, the guidingapparatus 102 may be curved and therefore may gradually extend away fromthe print carriage assembly 108. In one example, the slope of theguiding apparatus 102 is in a range of about 5° to 10°.

The guiding apparatus 102 which extends away from the print carriageassembly 108 results in lesser bending stresses when the cable 106settles over the portion 112. The reduced bending stresses furtherreduces the reaction forces that may act on the print carriage assembly108 thereby improving and maintaining print quality. Furthermore, sincethe bending stresses on the cable 106 are alleviated to an extent, theoperational life of the cable 106 also increases. These and otheraspects are further described in conjunction with other figures as well.

FIG. 2 depicts an example retaining apparatus 202 implemented within aprint device 200. The print device 200 further includes a print carriageassembly 204. The print carriage assembly 204 may include variouscircuitry and components that when operated enable the printing ofmatter over a print medium. A flexible flat cable 206 extends from theretaining apparatus 202 and is connected to the print carriage assembly204. The print carriage assembly 204 may move along shaft 208 having theY and Z axes as depicted. The X-axis extends into the plane in which theaforesaid components are depicted and is orthogonal to the Y and Z axes.

The retaining apparatus 202 may retain a portion of the cable 206 whichis connected to it. This is to secure the cable 206, say to the guidingapparatus 102, and therefore to prevent any damage or loosening of thejoint at which the cable 206 is connected to the retaining apparatus202. The retaining apparatus 202 may further include a clamping member210 for securely retaining the cable 206, for example to the guidingapparatus 102. The retaining apparatus 202 may further include a cavityfor accommodating a portion of the cable 206 when it is securelyretained by the clamping member 210. The guiding apparatus 202 furtherincludes a set of guiding elements 212-1, 2 for aligning the cable 206when securely retained by the clamping member 210. In one example, theguiding elements 212-1, 2 may be ribs or channels on either side of theguiding apparatus.

The retaining apparatus 202 may be so oriented such that the cable 206extends in a loop and remains twist free along its length between theretaining apparatus 202 and the print carriage assembly 204. In thepresent example, the retaining apparatus 202 lifts the cable 206 in anupward direction A as indicated, as it extends therefrom. As a result ofsuch an elevation, the cable 206 is at a specific angle in an upwarddirection with respect to horizontal plane (i.e., the X-Y plane). To putit in another way, the loop of the cable 206 extends above the plane inwhich the points where the cable 206 is attached to the retainingapparatus 202 and where the cable 206 attaches to the print carriageassembly 204, lie.

The adaptation of the retaining apparatus 202 may be affected through avariety of ways. In one example, the retaining apparatus 202 may be suchthat it is inclined at a specific angle with respect to a vertical axis(represented as Z′ axis) running in parallel with the Z-axis. Thespecific angle at which the retaining apparatus 202 is inclined may bebased on a number of parameters pertaining to the attributes of thecable 206. Examples of such attributes include but are not limited tofree length of the flexible flat cable, coating material of the flexibleflat cable, and weight and width of the flexible flat cable. In anotherexample, the cavity of the retaining apparatus 202 may be such that thecable 206 when extending out of the retaining apparatus 202, is liftedin an upward direction A as indicated. Other adaptations for theretaining apparatus 202 which result in lifting of the cable 206 in anupward direction A as indicated, would also be included within the scopeof the present subject matter as claimed.

FIG. 3 depicts various features of an example retaining apparatus, suchas the retaining apparatus 202. FIG. 3 provides various views in FIGS.3(A)-(C) of the retaining apparatus 202. For example, FIG. 3(A) providesthe view of the retaining apparatus 202 from the upwards Z-direction.FIGS. 3(B)-(C) provide the views of the retaining apparatus 202 from theX and Z directions, respectively. As depicted in the present drawings,the retaining apparatus 202 includes a set of guiding elements 302-1,2,mounting elements 304, surface 306 and static retaining portion 308. Theguiding elements 302-1,2 provide a set of channels or ribs to ensurethat a flexible flat cable, such as the cable 206 is accommodated withinthe guiding elements 302-1,2. The mounting elements 304 in turn providemechanism for mounting the retaining apparatus 202 onto a print device,such as the print device 200. The mounting elements 304 may beimplemented as hooks or clamps, or any other mechanism for fixing theretaining apparatus 202 with the print device 200. It should be notedthat the present figure depicts only a pair of mounting elements 304.The number of mounting elements 304 may vary depending on the type orsize of the print device 200 without limiting the scope of the scope ofthe present subject matter.

Continuing with the features of the retaining apparatus 202, the surface306 is the area from the which the cable 206 extends therefrom. Asmentioned previously, the retaining apparatus 202 may be so adapted suchthat the cable 206 when extending from the retaining apparatus 202 islifted in an upward direction A as indicated. As a result of such anelevation, the cable 206 is at a specific angle in an upward directionwith respect to horizontal plane (i.e., the X-Y plane). In one example,the surface 306 may be inclined at the specific angle with respect tohorizontal plane so that the cable when extending from the retainingapparatus 202 is lifted upwards as well. In one example, the specificangle may be in the range of about 5° to 15°. In another example, theretaining apparatus 202 may be installed such that it is inclined withthe vertical plane at about the specific angle as well. The retainingapparatus 202 may also include a static retaining portion 308. Thestatic retaining portion 308 secures the cable 206 to the retainingapparatus 202 to prevent any damage or loosening of the joint at whichthe cable 206 is connected to the retaining apparatus 202. In oneexample, the cable 206 may be secured at the static retaining portionusing a clamp 210. It should be noted that the present features are onlyexamples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of thepresent subject matter.

FIGS. 4 and 5 depict various components and stages of operation of aprint device 400. The print device 400 may be any device which can beused for printing characters by ejecting specific volumes of ink onto aprint medium. The print device 400 includes a guiding apparatus 402connected to a retaining apparatus 404. One end of a flexible flat cable406 is connected to the retaining apparatus 404 and the other end of thecable 406 is connected to a print carriage assembly 408. The printcarriage assembly 408 moves to and fro in the directions as indicated.In the present example, the motion of the print carriage assembly 408 isdriven by the drive mechanism 410. The drive mechanism 410 may furtherinclude one or more guide rails 412. The guide rails 412 provide aguided path for the motion of the print carriage assembly 408 as itmoves between two extreme ends of the guide rails 412. The drivemechanism 410 may further include a conveyor mechanism 414 to controland affect the motion of the print carriage assembly 408.

The guiding apparatus 402 may further be composed of multiple portions,for example the cable accommodating portion 420. The cable accommodatingportion 420 (referred to as the portion 420) has two ends, one of whichis connected to the cable 406. The portion 420 may be in the shape of astrip and is of specific width. The specific width of the portion 420may be selected based on the width of the cable 406. As the printcarriage assembly 408 moves, the cable 406 may be bent in a loop orpartly settled onto the portion 420 depending on whether the printcarriage assembly 408 is in position E or position F, respectively. Theportion 420 extends away from the print carriage assembly 408. Theportion 420 may be further connected to an extended portion 422-1. Theextended portion 422-1 may further extend away from the print carriageassembly as is shown in FIGS. 4-5. A subsequent portion 422-2 is furtherconnected to the extended portion 422-1. The subsequent portion 422-2 isoriented with respect to the extended portion 422-1 with that theextended portion 422-1 and the subsequent portion 422-2 provide aninward surface for accommodating the cable 406. In another example, theportion 420 and the extended portion 422-1 may be profiled to form acurve.

Referring again to the print device 400, the guiding apparatus 402 mayfurther be communicatively coupled to a main circuit board 416 and apower supply 418 via interface 322. The interface 322 may include avariety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data communication tostandardized connections for communicatively coupling various componentsof the print device 400. The main circuit board 416 may include anypredefined logic as software or programmed hardware or logicalcircuitry, for controlling the movement of the print carriage assembly408 for printing. The cable 406 transits data signals and controlsignals between the main circuit board 416 and the print carriageassembly 408.

In operation, one or more control instructions may be generated by themain circuit board 416. Based on the control signals the drive mechanism410 may be activated to move the print carriage assembly 408 from itsposition E. When the print carriage assembly 408 is in position E, thecable 406 forms a loop as is indicated in FIG. 4. The loop formed has alarger radius of curvature and hence may experience bending stresseswell within its tolerance range. As the printing process continues, theprint carriage assembly 408 moves from the initial position E to itsnext position F as is indicated in FIG. 5. As the print carriageassembly 408 moves towards position F, the cable 406 settles on theportion 420. As the print carriage assembly 408 continues move towardsthe position F, the cable 406 may proceed and settle onto the extendedportion 422-1 and the finally onto the subsequent portion 422-2. As thecable 406 settles and accommodates onto the guiding apparatus 402, theloop formed onto the cable 406 is less owing to the guiding apparatus402 extending away from the print carriage assembly 408. The process maycontinue with the intermittent motion of the print carriage assembly 408in which the cable 406 too bends and settles over the guiding apparatus402. The approaches as described reduces the bending stresses in thecable 406 and further prolongs the operational life of the cable 406.Furthermore, the reaction forces acting on the print carriage assembly408 are also reduced thereby maintaining the print quality even athigher print speeds.

FIG. 6 provides various components of a print device 600 as per anexample of the present subject matter. The print device 600 includes aguiding apparatus 602 attached to a retaining apparatus 604. Theretaining apparatus 604 provides support for the guiding apparatus 602.A flexible flat cable 606 is connected with the retaining apparatus 604.The other end of the cable 606 is connected to the print carriageassembly 608. The print carriage assembly 608 in operation may move in ato and fro motion along the drive mechanism 610. The drive mechanism 610enables the movement of the print carriage assembly 608 along thedirections as indicated. As explained briefly, the movement of the printcarriage assembly 608 affects the printing of desired characters basedon one or more executable commands.

The guiding apparatus 602 may further include interfaces for connectingto the main circuit board, such as the main circuit board 414. The cable606 in connection with the guiding apparatus 602 and the retainingapparatus 604 provide an electronic communication channel between themain circuit board and the print carriage assembly 608. The cable 606may be used for communicating data and control signals from the maincircuit to the print carriage assembly 608. As seen in FIG. 6, variouscomponents for which no protection is sought have been illustrated usingdotted lines.

The guiding apparatus 602 may further include a cable accommodatingportion 612 (referred to as the portion 612). The portion 612 has twoends, one of which is connected to the cable 606. The portion 612 may bein the shape of a strip and is of specific width. The specific width ofthe portion 612 may be so selected based on the width of the cable 606.As also explained previously, the print carriage assembly 608 moves in ato-fro motion across two extreme positions. As the print carriageassembly 608 moves, the cable 606 may be bent or relaxed depending onthe position of the print carriage assembly 608. For example, as theprint carriage assembly 608 moves from right to left (as shown in FIG.6), the cable 606 would be bent in a loop. As the print carriageassembly 608 continues to move, the cable 606 would be accommodated overthe guiding apparatus 602.

Returning to the features of the guiding apparatus 602, the portion 612accommodates the cable 606 as the print carriage assembly 608 moves fromthe right to the left direction. The portion 612 is adapted to extendaway from an axis along which the print carriage assembly 608 moves. Itshould be noted that in the present description any reference to theguiding apparatus 602 extending away from the print carriage assembly608 refers to the guiding apparatus 602 extending away from the axisalong which the print carriage assembly 608 moves. In another example,the guiding apparatus 602 may be curved such that the portion 612 maygradually extend away from the print carriage assembly 608.

The guiding apparatus 602 which extends away from the print carriageassembly 608 results in lesser bedding stresses when the cable 606settles over the portion 612. The reduced bending stresses furtherreduces the reaction forces that may act on the print carriage assembly608 thereby improving print quality. Furthermore, since the bendingstresses on the cable 606 are reduced the operational life of the cable606 also increases. These and other aspects are further described inconjunction with other figures as well.

Although examples for the present disclosure have been described inlanguage specific to structural features and/or methods, it should beunderstood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to thespecific features or methods described. Rather, the specific featuresand methods are disclosed and explained as examples of the presentdisclosure.

We claim:
 1. A cable guiding apparatus for a flexible flat cable,wherein the apparatus comprises: a cable accommodating portion having afirst end and a second end, wherein the cable accommodating portion hasa prescribed width so as to accommodate the flexible flat cable; thefirst end of the cable accommodating portion is adapted to connect toone end of the flexible flat cable with another end of the flexible flatcable connected to a print carriage assembly; and the cableaccommodating portion is so adapted such that, when installed in a printdevice, extends away from an axis along which the print carriageassembly moves as the cable accommodating portion extends away from thefirst end, wherein the cable accommodating portion is arranged withrespect to the cable such that the cable is to settle onto the cableaccommodating portion as the print carriage assembly moves in onedirection and is to move off the cable accommodating portion as theprint carriage moves in a second direction opposite the first direction.2. The cable guiding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cableaccommodating portion is linearly extending.
 3. The cable guidingapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable accommodating portionis curved such that the cable accommodating portion curves away from theprint carriage assembly when installed.
 4. The cable guiding apparatusas claimed in claim 1, further comprising an extended portion connectedto the second end of the cable accommodating portion such that theextended portion further extends away from the print carriage assembly.5. The cable guiding apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprisinga subsequent portion connected to the extended portion such that theextended portion and the subsequent portion provide an inward surfacefor accommodating the flexible flat cable.
 6. The cable guidingapparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an interface forconnecting to a main circuit board of the print device.
 7. An apparatus,comprising: a print carriage assembly to move along a print carriageaxis; a cable accommodating portion having a first end; and a flexibleflat cable having one end connected to the first end of the cableaccommodating portion and an other end connected to the print carriageassembly, wherein the cable accommodating portion has an extendedportion to receive the flexible flat cable therein when the printcarriage assembly moves in a first direction, the extended portionextending away from the print carriage axis from the first end of thecable accommodating portion.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein theextended portion of the cable accommodating portion has a width toaccommodate the flexible flat cable.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7,wherein the extended portion of the cable accommodating portion islinearly extending.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the extendedportion of the cable accommodating portion is curved away from the printcarriage assembly.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cableaccommodating apparatus further comprises a subsequent portion connectedto the extended portion such that the extended portion and thesubsequent portion provide an inward surface for accommodating theflexible flat cable.